Sims watches his two early favorites

Jason Suchomel | Orangebloods.com Editor

Blue-chip running back Herschel Sims has had Oklahoma at or near the top of his list for some time. After taking in two Texas Longhorn home games this fall, Sims said just last week that Texas and OU were "running back and forth with number one and two" and on Saturday he took an opportunity to see the two programs square off.

Sims was one of several top prospects to take in the annual Red River Rivalry in Dallas, and he said he enjoyed the opportunity to watch one of college football's most storied rivalries.

"Just being there actually was amazing. It was a great feeling," Sims said. The atmosphere was great. It was a good game and good place to be."

With OU and Texas battling it out on Sims' early list, the obvious question is whether or not he found himself rooting for either program. According to the 5-10, 190-pound runner, he remained neutral.

"I was going back and forth. They're both good teams," Sims said. "I really wasn't going for a certain one in particular. They're both great teams. I just wanted to see a good game."

One might think that watching a game as a recruit would be different than watching as a more traditional fan. Often times, prospects zero in on their position and try to imagine themselves fitting in with the schemes they're watching. Other times, the players simply want to be a fan and take in the entire game atmosphere. For Sims on Saturday, it was a little bit of both.

"I just watch the game, really. I just try to have a good time, enjoy the game," Sims said. "I try not worry about who is recruiting me. I did watch the running backs to see how they perform but mostly I just wanted to see a good game."

And his thoughts on the teams' running games?

"They both did good in some stages and they also struggled a little bit. It was mostly a defensive game," said Sims. "I thought Oklahoma was running the ball a little better early but towards the end of the game, Texas really stepped up. They were keeping OU's defense off balance and Texas substituted and used their running backs wisely."

Up next, Sims will to Lubbock to watch Texas Tech host Texas A&M. It will be his second time watching the Red Raiders after taking in their game against Rice in September.

"I just hope to see another good game," Sims said. "I haven't had a chance to see the Aggies play. I'm also just going to see (former Abilene teammates) Lyle (Leong) play again and hopefully see (Taylor) Potts."

On the season, Sims and his Abilene teammates are still perfect after taking care of Weatherford last week with a 33-13 victory.

"We're still undefeated. I thought I did pretty well," Sims said. "I had over 100 yards. It was the most carries I've had this year. I had 21 carries for something like 109 yards with two touchdowns. Then I had two touchdowns called back on penalties. In the first half, we didn't execute well. But our defense played really well and kept them out of the end zone. Then we played pretty well the second half."